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A new
procedure for the treatment of cataracts may allow patients
to go without prescription glasses after the procedure, according
to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.
Currently,
the majority of patients must wear prescription glasses in
order to see properly after cataract surgery due to refractive
errors caused by unpredictable wound healing, inaccuracies
in pre-operative measurements of ocular dimensions, or pre-existing
corneal disorders such as astigmatism.
Researchers
are developing a photosensitive silicone intraocular lens
that can be adjusted non-invasively, weeks after surgery,
with a low-power source of light to eliminate refractive errors
after implantation.
"With
this technology, we can make power adjustments after the lens
is in place, wound healing has occurred, and the eye is stabilized,"
said Dr. Daniel Schwartz, associate professor of ophthalmology
and co-inventor of the Light Adjustable Lens (LAL).
"As
currently envisioned, the procedure will be relatively simple.
The surgeon would implant the LAL using standard surgical
techniques. When the eye has healed after two to four weeks,
the patient returns to have the lens customized. By directing
a cool, low intensity beam of light onto the lens, the surgeon
would precisely adjust the lens power to the patient's specific
needs. The lens material is photosensitive and designed to
respond in a predictable manner according to the duration
and intensity of light delivered," said Schwartz.
Clinical
trials on humans are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2002
and U.S. clinical trials will follow pending FDA approval.
It is anticipated that the lens will be available in Europe
in 2003 and in the United States in 2006.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of June 9, 2002
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